New Museum Typifies Cultural Façade of Madinah

Madinah: Prince Sultan Bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), opened the Madinah Museum at the refurbished Hejaz Railway Station here. The function was held on the sidelines of the 3rd National Urban Heritage Forum that started off in the city last fortnight. Ali Al-Ghaban, Vice President of SCTA for Antiquities and Museums, said that the commission completed the first phase of the museum at the station, and this represents a cultural façade of Madinah region, which abounds in archeological and Islamic historical sites. “The SCTA has refurbished the buildings of the old Hejaz Railway Station and transformed them into a museum to showcase the rich history of Madinah through the ages ever since the pre-historic period until the present day. The commission had earlier established another museum at the train repair shed, to highlight the history of the Hejaz Railway,” he said. The museum’s first phase consists of 14 halls to showcase exhibits, and they include the lobby of the museum, halls for Madinah’s environment and history of its nature, Madinah before Islam, Madinah during the Prophet’s period, halls of the Prophet’s wives and children, Al-Ansar and Muhajireen, the Prophet’s Mosque, Madinah during the period of Caliphs, Madinah through Islamic ages, Madinah in the period of first Saudi state, Madinah in the second Saudi state, Madinah during the period of King Abdul Aziz, and Madinah heritage. Prince Sultan said the SCTA also preserves non-Islamic archeological sites because they are important for telling the real story of how Islam began in the Arabian Peninsula.